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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26120044">The Rancher's Assistant</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memetic/pseuds/Memetic'>Memetic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hylics (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, I just think Tyros are neat, Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:02:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26120044</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memetic/pseuds/Memetic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about a small little Tyro in a big world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Day at the Ranch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Being a juice rancher is honest work. At least, it's supposed to be.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jok would have to brace himself for the events to come.</p><p>He closed his eye and focused. It would be over before he knew it. Steeling his reserves, he gently creaked open the door to the boss's room. She lay asleep on her couch, one arm drooping lazily off the side, snoring loud enough that the frail Tyro could enter without getting noticed. He quietly waddled over to the couch and nudged Somsnosa awake.</p><p>"Huh? Who the.... oh, Jok, it's you. What's going on?"</p><p>"Um, h-hello ma'am, I, um, I have the, uh-"</p><p>"This is today's sample?"</p><p>"Y-yes, ma'am. I warn you, it might not be-"</p><p>Jok could barely finish his thought before his boss snatched the jug from its tray and took a swig. He was able to close his eye just in time for her spittle to not blind him as it sprayed all over the room a second later.</p><p>"What the FUCK is this, Jok? This is barely even water!"</p><p>"Listen, I-"</p><p>It was a pointless exercise. Jok was quickly spun around as Somsnosa dashed past him and entered the ranch grounds. As expected, her screaming was perfectly audible from anywhere in a 5-kilometer radius of the ranch. "The first lesson you learn on the job is that no one is safe from the boss's tirades," as Jok would tell newcomers.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, she returned to her room. "Get out," she blurted, not even looking in Jok's direction. He got the hint. The day was over, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, it wouldn't be that easy for Jok. As soon as he left the headquarters, he was cornered by a set of ranchers.</p><p>"Jok, what the hell happened in there? We told you to tell her about the shortage!"</p><p>"I-I'm sorry. I didn't..." Jok trailed off. As shy as he was around his boss, he was even worse when confronted by his coworkers.</p><p>"Course, she didn't yell at you. Not like you do anything to help around here-"</p><p>"Could ya give him a goddamn break? Think for one second. You really think anything he could've said would have saved us from that?"</p><p>"He could've at least tried..."</p><p>"And then what? We'd get yelled at for 15 minutes instead of 16? Stop worrying about the pipsqueak and look at the big picture here."</p><p>"Enlighten me."</p><p>"These juice beasts we're getting! Look at them! We're never gonna produce anything good if we keep trying to pump it out of these freaks!" The second rancher pointed at the day's supply. From Jok's perspective, the beast looked the same as every other one.</p><p>The first rancher sighed. "You're right. Sorry Jok, I just... you know how it is with her. Gotta let it off on someone."</p><p>Jok shrugged. He was used to it.</p><p>"Listen, could you... do us a favor? I know the boss is angry, but could you, maybe..."</p><p>"Y-you want me to tell her about th-the supply, right?"</p><p>"Yeah. Could you maybe do that now?"</p><p>"...I would, um, prefer to wait until tomorrow, i-if possible..."</p><p>"No can do. By then we'd already get our next batch, and this whole day is gonna repeat itself. I know she's mad, but you're the only one she'll listen to. Please, Jok."</p><p>The second rancher then knelt down and leaned into the shivering Tyro. "If you do it, I can sneak some juice boxes for you off the assembly line once it gets good."</p><p>Jok's ear perked up. No one at the ranch was allowed to consume the supply — not with how much it sold for in the city.</p><p> </p><p>Night had dawned on the ranch. All was quiet but the little scuttering of bugs, and even they had mostly retreated to their holes for the night. It was time for Jok to make his move. He tiptoed out of the quarters and approached Somsnosa's room, his growing fears tempered only by the promise of high-quality juice he would never be able to afford otherwise. He entered the house to see her sitting on the couch, staring directly at him.</p><p>"You came. I had a feeling you would. Come, sit down."</p><p>Jok was expecting a lot of terrible outcomes, but seeing Somsnosa this calm was last on his list. He was almost more terrified than before, but he wouldn't dare disobey her. He waddled over to the empty side of the couch and sat beside her.</p><p>"The ranchers asked you to come here, right?"</p><p>"Y-yeah. They wanted me to explain-"</p><p>"The beasts. I know."</p><p>Jok looked away. He wanted to ask why she was so wrathful to them in that case, but at this point he was thankful to be alive and didn't want to push his luck.</p><p>Somsnosa rubbed her eyes. "Our supplier has been fucking us over these past few days. I've been trying to figure out why, but no one seems to have any answers." She stood up and looked at Jok directly in the eye. "That's why I cut off our shipments."</p><p>"You did WHAT?!" Jok yelled louder than he ever had in his entire life. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to um, get loud, but..."</p><p>Somsnosa snickered and doubled over laughing. "You should have seen your face there! That was adorable, oh my god."</p><p>Jok looked away, so embarrassed he almost wished he had died instead. "So... you didn't really cut off-"</p><p>"No, I did. I wouldn't joke about that."</p><p>"What are we going to do, then? The r-ranch won't survive more than a few days without beasts, r-right?"</p><p>"That's right. And that's why you and I are going to get to the bottom of this now."</p><p>"Well, that's good to hear." Jok didn't quite understand, but he was confident this would get done. If there was one thing he knew about Somsnosa, it was that she could do anything she put her mind to - wait a minute, what was that first part? "I-I'm going too?"</p><p>"Yep! I can't do this alone, unfortunately. The ranchers will be fine on their own while we're gone."</p><p>"Oh. Well, w-when are we leaving?"</p><p>"Didn't you hear me? Now."</p><p> </p><p>The boat was small, just barely managing to fit its two passengers. Somsnosa pushed it off the island with her oars, and began rowing. Hours passed in silence as she made her way to the destination of the ranch's alleged supplier. She appreciated the silence, but could tell that her friend across from her felt otherwise.</p><p>"What is it, Jok? You've been staring at me this entire time."</p><p>"Oh? I'm sorry.... but there's not much else I can do, is there?"</p><p>Somsnosa sighed. "Jok, I've known you long enough to tell that you have a normal stare and an anxious one. Right now, I'm looking at the latter."</p><p>"W-well... I can't help being anxious, you know? I have no idea where we're going, you cut off our supply, and... and WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO THE RANCHERS?" Oh no he didn't mean to blurt that out, oh fuck, she's going to kill me, it's over, why did I ever-</p><p>"Is that what was on your mind the whole time?"</p><p>No point in denying it now. It was time to plunge eye-first into death's embrace. "Yeah."</p><p>Somsnosa chuckled, almost holding back the urge to laugh into her underling's face twice in the same night. "I should have known you'd ask about that. I love you so much, you weird little creature."</p><p>He didn't feel like that warranted a response.</p><p>"Here's the thing about the ranchers, Jok: they weren't always ranchers. When I found them, they were ruthless beasts, doing terrible things to each other out in the wilderness." She leaned in close to the Tyro, ensuring he heard every syllable of her confession. "I had to beat them into submission. And it wasn't easy. I had to kill some of them, even." Jok gasped. "But in the end, well, you've seen the results."</p><p>Jok was stunned. He couldn't imagine his coworkers doing such awful things, or his boss taking any of their lives. But she wouldn't lie to him, right? Somsnosa noticed his concern and quickly tried to assuage it.</p><p>"The ranchers are good people, really. They just... need guidance. And when I treat them the way I do, it's... a way of enforcing that guidance. Because if I didn't, well, you wouldn't want to see it."</p><p>Jok nodded acceptingly. He didn't really understand, but it was clear that there were some things he just couldn't. And in the end, as long as Somsnosa was confident, that was all the reality he needed.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the trip continued in silence. Somsnosa continued rowing, occasionally stopping to let the current take them to their destination. Eventually, come morning, they had arrived at their destination: a small remote island with a massive building taking up almost its entirety. As the boat washed ashore, its passengers stepped out, Somsnosa stretching her limbs and Jok mimicking her movements despite having nothing to stretch. Afterwards, she lent down and pulled him close, her face directly in front of his eye.</p><p>"Jok, I need you to listen to every word I say, because I'm only going to say it once. We're going to be dealing with some untrustworthy people up ahead, and I'm going to need you to keep absolutely silent during it." Jok nodded. Keeping quiet was one thing he could do incredibly well. "There's one other thing, Jok — and I need you not to forget this."</p><p> </p><p>After she finished giving him her instructions, she stood up and was greeted by two guards.</p><p>"What brings you to the Edifice?" asked one of the guards, speaking through an unmoving pink face.</p><p>"I'm here to speak with the owner of this... fine establishment. Business-related, and such things." Somsnosa's face was also unmoved, trying to hide the fact that she completely botched that response.</p><p>The other guard scoffed. "You believe the master will grant an audience to any simple hylic who washes up on his shores? You've even brought a disgusting, lowly Tyro with you! How further do you intend to disrespect the one and only-"</p><p>"Now, now, that's quite enough, my loyal sentinel."</p><p>The guards looked behind them and saw, towering over them, a being coated in rich red fur, donning a helmet with pointy horns and hollowed-out eyes. They immediately prostrated themselves and stepped aside, letting him get face-to-face with his visitor.</p><p>"Pleased to meet you, ma'am. The name is Viewax."</p><p>"Somsnosa."</p><p>"I happened to overhear you wish to discuss business with me. Shall we do so in the privacy of my office?"</p><p>"That would be nice, yes."</p><p>"And the Tyro?"</p><p>"He comes with."</p><p>"Very well."</p><p> </p><p>As the three traversed the halls of the Edifice's headquarters, Jok was amazed at everything he was taking in. The decorations and fountains might as well have come from an entirely different planet compared to the quaint, boring world he had known his entire life. Somsnosa was much less impressed — after having walked through Gibby's palace, this was nothing special.</p><p>Eventually, they made their way into Viewax's main office. It was no less extravagant than the rest of the building, with a brightly-colored and meticulously-crafted chair sitting at the end for the master himself. The guards shut the door and stood outside as the negotiations began.</p><p>"So, miss Somsnosa, what business are we to be discussing here?"</p><p>Somsnosa had a chair to herself as well — not as flamboyant as the one across from her, but nothing to scoff at either. Jok stood next to it. He didn't like sitting. "Viewax," she began, tapping her fingers, "what are your thoughts on the juice economy?"</p><p>Viewax chuckled. "Juice, you say? Go on."</p><p>"I'm looking to set up a ranch close to New Muldul. There's plenty of juice sold there, you see, but here's the thing: it's shit. You'd think it was bad coffee, the way it tastes and smells."</p><p>"I'm not really one for such fancy drinks, myself. Water does everything it needs to for me." As if to demonstrate this, Viewax drank from an embroidered paper cup that was sitting nearby, tossing it when it became empty. Somsnosa winced — <em>they</em> would have removed his head for wasting it like that.</p><p>"Anyway, this is a golden opportunity for us both. If we can get our hands on some quality juice beasts, we can get into these shops and completely drive the old merchants out. You'll get another stake in New Muldul, and I'll-</p><p>"My apologies for cutting you off, miss Somsnosa, but what exactly do you mean by 'quality juice beasts'?"</p><p>"Well," Somsnosa said, leaning inward, "as I'm sure you already know, juice comes from beasts that now roam the post-accretion wilderness. All of them are capable of producing juice, but you need to prepare them a certain way or the whole thing is spoiled. It would be easy to get some-"</p><p>"You do seem to know an awful lot about juicing for someone only looking to get into the business."</p><p>Jok's eye widened. No one interrupted Somsnosa twice in a row and got away with it."What exactly are you getting at, Viewax? You seem like there's a point you're trying to make."</p><p>"Hm. Well, I suppose I've played my cards a little too early." He stood up and walked towards his guests. "The truth is, Somsnosa, I've known exactly who you were this whole time. I'm not entirely certain why you were trying to trick me like this, as if I don't have merchants vigilant enough to tell me who their customers are."</p><p>Somsnosa left the chair and began walking back from Viewax's encroaching presence, Jok hiding behind her and shivering.</p><p>"Then I'm sure you're aware of the rotten beasts you've been giving us. Care to explain why?" She did her best to hide the increasing nervousness in her voice.</p><p>Viewax's chuckle became a laugh. "You said it yourself — I have the opportunity to boost New Muldul's economy by helping you out, right?"</p><p>Somsnosa was now backed against the door. "But you don't want to boost it, do you? You're trying to cripple it so you can overthrow Blerol like you've always wanted."</p><p>"You're a quick learner." Viewax lurched his hand forward, grabbing Somsnosa by the head and slamming it to the ground. The skull she wore on her head shattered into pieces, exposing her black hair.</p><p>Jok screamed, causing the guards to open the door.</p><p>Somsnosa turned to him, her head slowly getting crushed between the floor and the aspiring tyrant's hand. "Jok... go! Now!" She lifted her hand and snapped at the guards, severely injuring them.</p><p>It was no use. Jok was frozen in place.</p><p>"Jok! What did I say?!"</p><p>Her words fell on deaf ears. The sight of his closest companion getting hurt like this froze his legs in place.</p><p>"Don't think that you aren't next, you little freak. Guards, get him!" Viewax picked Somsnosa's head up and slammed it even harder. Her head began to melt off, exposing her broken skull. Jok watched as her eyes became lifeless.</p><p> </p><p>Before he could cry out for his mentor, he felt the guards' hands attempting to grab him. All of a sudden, he was snapped out of his trance. Somsnosa might be gone, but there was no way he'd fail to carry out her final wish. The Tyro strained, and via sheer will, a sword manifested above him, cleaving the two guards in twain. He ran off, not looking back at Somsnosa's corpse, out of the office, out of the building, back onto the shore.</p><p>And down into the sand.</p><p>Jok would need to do a lot of digging for the trip he was going to make.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Somsnosa is my favorite character and this is how I treat her in her first appearance! I should be ashamed.<br/>I know I didn't quite get Viewax's dialogue right, but honestly writing Hylics (mostly 2) dialogue is real difficult considering how it shifts from normal dialogue to the extremely odd wording that's hard for me to replicate. Also, I like the headcanon that Viewax talks a lot more formally when there's company but is just a massive disrespectful piece of shit in private. God I hate Viewax so much.<br/>My goal in this series is to explore the world between 1/2 through the eye of the weakest enemy in the game. Compared to the rest of the fics in this fandom it probably looks embarrassing but maybe you'll find something you enjoy. I already have the rest of the story planned so if it's well-received enough I'll be more eager to write more! As it is, chapter 2 is definitely getting done real soon.</p><p>FINAL NOTE: "Jok" is pronounced as "yolk" or "yoke", or anywhere in between.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Lone Tyro's Quest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>To fulfill her last request, he'll have to incite an all-out war.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some small unstated headcanons that this chapter wouldn't really make sense without:<br/>* Only Wayne has the ability to choose where he can emerge from the Afterlife. Everyone else is tied physically to the location they die at.<br/>* Creatures in the wild fight each other, but will gather and team up to face a stronger foe (this knowledge is used by enemies to strategically impede progress).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Tyro emerged from the sand, confused and hungry. The sun was blistering down on it, making its already crippling fatigue even worse. It needed to find shelter before the skin melted off its bones.</p><p>Three days prior, the moon exploded. The sheer gravitational force of this event rapidly altered the climate and form of the planet, shaping entirely new landmasses and uncovering structures that had lay dormant for thousands of years, in an event that would come to be called the Accretion. Species like the Tyro, who had lived exclusively in underground tunnels, were forced to find new homes or live on the surface, a task this particular creature (who didn't understand any of these circumstances) was finding challenging at the moment. As it continued wandering through the desert, it began to see a shape form in the distance.</p><p>It had no reason to believe this figure would be safe, but it was either that or the empty abyss of the desert. It made its way to its new target, its stubby legs kicking up sand behind it. Eventually, the shape grew bigger and clearer, and by the time the Tyro was able to make out what exactly it was, it was too late to avoid the consequences.</p><p>With its lone eyeball, it perceived a large, worm-like beast, pink but with a blue coating around its neck, with yellow protrusions sticking out of various spots on its body. The beast did not have any visible eyes, but it seemed to recognize the Tyro's existence all the same.</p><p>The creature immediately turned around and began to run away, but to no avail. The beast's tail whipped forward and grabbed the poor thing's body, pulling it right towards its mouth. It looked over its prey, as if deciding which part to eat first. Eventually picking the head, it rotated the Tyro like a toy and opened its slimy, vast maw. The Tyro felt the beast's mouth close over the corner of its head, one of its ears completely ensnared in saliva. With a crack, the beast tore off the section it had chosen.</p><p>The Tyro cried out in unimaginable pain as it watched the worm swallow a quarter of its head. Its only comfort against the unending agony of its open, gushing wound was the comfort of death, which it waited for, not knowing this was a beast who enjoyed playing with their food. With its head, it poked and prodded at the bitten-off corner, each point of contact causing another surge of pain for the poor creature, who suddenly, with its remaining ear, heard a snap in the distance.</p><p>Out of nowhere, a massive force blew away both beast and creature, as if an unnatural gust of wind had materialized right next to both of them. The Tyro could feel the worm's grip loosen and then disappear as it flew back, sand flying around it and seeping into its wound. After hitting the ground, the shock of the blast went away, and the pain in its head returned. It opened its eye to produce tears, and saw standing above it a tall blue figure with black hair on its head, staring down at it quizzically.</p><p>The figure knelt down to get a closer look at the Tyro, its face an odd reassurance to the dying creature. Its lips curled upwards as it opened up a sack it was carrying and procured a strange white material. After rubbing the material on its finger, it touched the creature's wound, causing a sharp pain followed by... nothing.</p><p>The creature was shocked. The pain had gone completely. It could still feel an empty socket where its ear had been, but there was nothing gushing from it, and its life stopped fading. It turned its head to see the blue person making its way over to the beast. Composing itself and gaining its strength, it followed its savior.</p><p>The two beings approached the beast. The Tyro noticed a chunk of it was gone — its blue carapace was opened up and spilling fluids. The beast was wriggling in pain until the figure stuck its hand inside, killing it instantly. They then grabbed one of the yellow growths and squeezed it, causing a fluid to emerge. The figure eagerly consumed its contents, wiping its mouth with its arm when it was finished. It then turned to the Tyro, only noticing its presence after the meal. It opened its mouth and uttered a series of unrecognizable sounds; the creature figured it was trying to communicate with it, so it shook its head to indicate nothing was being conveyed.</p><p>The figure, disappointed, put its hand on its chin, as if deep in thought. It then smiled, pointed a finger at the creature, and uttered a single word: "Jok!"</p><p>"Jok"? The creature didn't understand. Its quizzical expression was ignored by the figure, who picked it up and draped it over its shoulder as it went off.</p><p> </p><p>Standing in the wilderness near what he thought was New Muldul made Jok recall this scene. At the time, he had no idea he had just been given a name, assigned a gender, and found a new career, but a life outside of all of that seemed inconceivable now. All the more reason, he felt, to carry out her final order — as payment if nothing else.</p><p>Unfortunately, carrying it out would be impossible if he couldn't get to New Muldul. Somsnosa had only given him a direction to dig in and a rough estimate of how far away the destination was, so he expected to be slightly off, but there was no sign of the city border anywhere near him. "Guess I'll just pick a direction and hope for the best," he thought, resigning himself to the lack of better options.</p><p>Jok continued to wander the desert for a while until he encountered a shape. Desperate for any sights that weren't sand, he ran towards it, only to find a feral Cave Cineast staring him in the eye. Jok remembered these creatures from the underground days; unpleasant, but left you alone if they weren't hungry and you weren't in their way. Upon a quick inspection, Jok determined he had broken both of these rules, and prepared himself, accepting he'd need to fight his way out of this one.</p><p>The Cave Cineast attacked first. It struck Jok with a simple attack, knocking the Tyro to the ground for a second before he recovered. Jok's Flesh was in a healthy state, especially after staying underground for so long, but the trauma and stress of recent events took a massive hit to his Will. He'd have to be careful with gestures. After picking himself up off the ground, he decided to respond with an attack of his own.</p><p>His opponent vibrated, signifying the attack got through. Its posing remained uninterrupted, yellow hair and silver fur flowing in the breeze, as it turned to the side and flexed before launching a glaive at the Tyro. The attack cut into Jok's Flesh, significantly hurting him, but he wasn't done yet. He gathered his remaining Will and launched a sword into the Cave Cineast's head, cutting through it and causing it severe pain as it stumbled back.</p><p>The two creatures stood opposed from each other, glaring at one another as the battle hit a standstill. Jok weighed the next options in his mind: if the Cave Cineast chose to run off, Jok would let him go, despite needing something to recover his Flesh soon. If Jok ran off, he wasn't sure his opponent would grant him the same courtesy. If the two were to continue fighting, Jok wasn't sure if he could win, but he couldn't die, so he'd have to think of something. In the middle of his thoughts, he got distracted by the Cave Cineast's head jolting to the side, fixated on something in the distance Jok couldn't see. Before he could squint to look further, his enemy grabbed his torso and started running in that direction. Bewildered, Jok considered breaking free, but decided to hold on and see where his foe was taking him.</p><p>They made their way to the Cave Cineast's target, a large figure with a blue fur coat and a strange red helmet. His towering stature gave off the same aura Somsnosa did when he first met her that fateful day, and as his opponent-turned-partner began to prepare an attack, he wondered if this was a fight worth having.</p><p>As if to confirm Jok's suspicions, the figure spoke. "I really don't have time for this," he uttered in a powerful but tired-sounding voice, "so I'd really appreciate it if you both just scurried off."</p><p>Jok turned to the Cave Cineast, who was unmoved by this plea. It was preparing for an attack, and he realized that his window of opportunity was narrowing. "Um, excuse me... do you think we could hear him out?" He muttered. The creature tilted its head, confused by the noises the Tyro just uttered.</p><p>Its target, on the other hand, was stunned. "Did... did you just talk?"</p><p>"Me? Oh, yeah, I was just wondering if you could direct me to New Muldul - wait, is that unusual?"</p><p>Before his question could be answered, the Cave Cineast summoned another glaive, which sliced through the person as he was distracted. He stumbled back, and as he recovered, he looked directly into Jok's eye and said "Run."</p><p>Jok complied. His partnership with the Cave Cineast had been short-lived, but his life was more important. As he ran, he heard the sounds of lightning cracking, and could feel a shockwave reaching his feet. He turned around and saw his former enemy and ally turned into a pile of meat, while its killer lay on the ground. Upon returning to the scene of the carnage, Jok noticed the man was unconscious. He prodded him with his foot a little, which seemed to stir him back awake. He sat up, rubbed his head, and made his way back to his feet. He looked down at Jok, as if trying to remember what had just happened.</p><p>"I, um-"</p><p>"Oh! That's right. Let's go to New Muldul."</p><p> </p><p>The man brought the Tyro into a small building on a hill overlooking the city. Inside was a room not dissimilar to Somsnosa's back at the ranch. He lit up the oven and placed the chunks of the Cave Cineast inside, suddenly turning to Jok as a thought occurred to him. "You have no problem eating another creature's Flesh, right?"</p><p>"Tyro customs include the devouring of those too old to work in the tunnels. It's a familiar taste."</p><p>"...I see," he said, nodding. "I've come to prefer certain plant-based nutritions myself, but I can't let the remains of a worthy foe go to waste."</p><p>Before Jok could process how weird that statement was, the meat had finished cooking. The man placed the chunks onto a large plate and brought it over to a table, sitting across from his guest. "So," he began, somehow biting into his meal without needing to remove his helmet, "what brings you to New Muldul?"</p><p>Jok swallowed a chunk whole, to his host's simultaneous disgust and intrigue. "I'm on an urgent mission. I'm looking for someone named Pongorma. Do you have any idea where I could find him?"</p><p>The man laughed and pointed to himself. "You've already found him, my friend."</p><p>Jok stared quizzically. "I did? When?"</p><p>"He's in this very room!"</p><p>Jok continued his blank stare.</p><p>"Y-you're looking at him."</p><p>Jok stared for a while, processing the man's words, until he reached the horrifying conclusion. Immediately, he tried spitting out the chunks of Pongorma he had already eaten, hoping somehow part of him could be restored if he just-</p><p>"NO! Tyro, it's me! I am Pongorma!"</p><p>"...Oh." Jok swallowed the rest of not-Pongorma and reached for another piece.</p><p>"Well, Tyro, what business do you have with me?"</p><p>After swallowing another piece, Jok replied. "If you wouldn't mind, could you, um, call me Jok?"</p><p>"Jok? An interesting name. Sounds like something Soms would come up with..." Pongorma trailed off as he took the last piece, not realizing Jok was staring wide-eyed at him.</p><p>"You mean Somsnosa? Do you know her?"</p><p>Pongorma stood up, almost offended by this question. "Do I <em>know</em> her? Why, I slayed the lunar tyrant Gibby at her side! Did you not hear the stories?"</p><p>"No, she never wanted to tell me about the past. Said it didn't concern me."</p><p>Pongorma sat back down, deflated by Jok's flat reply. "I understand. Well then, what's your relation to Somsnosa?"</p><p>"I'm her - well, I was her assistant." Jok looked down, reminded of the circumstances. "Unfortunately, she's... gone now. I saw her die."</p><p>Jok felt an icy stare come from behind Pongorma's helmet. "Tell me what happened. NOW."</p><p> </p><p>Jok and Pongorma quickly made their way to the palace. Trailing behind him, Jok felt an urgency emanating from the knight he had never felt before from anyone. The two eventually reached the entrance, where they were stopped by two guards who, upon noticing Pongorma, immediately kneeled before addressing him.</p><p>"Sir Pongorma! We regret to inform you that Lord Blerol is conducting official business, and is unable to be-"</p><p>"That excuse won't work on me, and you know it. Let me through, now."</p><p>"P-please, Sir Pongorma, it will cost us our jobs if we let you disturb Blerol, you know how he can get..."</p><p>"I'll make sure it won't. Now move out of the way before I make your lives far worse than he could."</p><p>"....Yes, Sir Pongorma."</p><p>Jok watched the guards' faces as he passed. They were crestfallen, with a resigned acceptance reminiscent of the ranchers after Somsnosa was through with them.</p><p>Blerol's palace was even more impressive to Jok than the edifice. While Viewax's halls were gaudy and packed to the brim with riches, it seemed the monarch's tastes were more refined, showing off his wealth in more subtle and throughtful tones. The two approached the throne room, and Pongorma shoved the door open, marching immediately up to the regent. Jok followed, timidly.</p><p>Despite being the same white hue as New Muldul's residents, Blerol easily set himself apart, with his relaxed poise and elaborate crown sitting atop the threads that gracefully descended over his face. He did not allow this intrusion to interfere with his lounging, as he addressed his two guests without even turning his head towards them.</p><p>"Normally you knock, Pongorma."</p><p>"These are not normal circumstances, Blerol."</p><p>"I'm listening, I suppose. Go on."</p><p>Pongorma made his plea before the king. Jok listened attentively, making sure he got the details right. One thing he noticed is that Pongorma wouldn't say Somsnosa died, simply that she was in trouble and possibly being held captive at the edifice. He wondered if this was a white lie to persuade Blerol, or perhaps a refusal to accept his longtime companion was really gone. Either way, he seemed incredibly convincing at pushing this narrative.</p><p>A while later, Pongorma had finished presenting his case. He demanded a small flotilla carrying enough soldiers to incapacitate Viewax and rescue Somsnosa. Jok felt this was a reasonable request, but a look into his eyes (or, at least, what was visible of them behind the threads) revealed Blerol clearly felt differently.</p><p>"I admire your dedication to an old friend, Pongorma, but don't you think that what you're asking for is excessive? If your aim is to rescue her, surely your own skills would be enough, no?"</p><p>"Did not a word I say reach you, Blerol? Rescuing Somsnosa is not enough. We must bring the fight to Viewax himself if we wish to restore justice."</p><p>"It should be obvious, Knight, that I am not interested in such concepts. The wellbeing of New Muldul comes first, and I cannot risk the potential damage to our military on a wasteful mission such as this."</p><p>"Wasteful? You believe safely disposing of a murderer to be a waste?"</p><p>"Viewax is a brute, and I have no interest in having him anywhere near New Muldul, but his stature is vitally important to the city's growth. Regardless of rash actions he may take-"</p><p>"NO! He's trying to usurp you!"</p><p>Pongorma and Blerol, having prepared themselves for a fierce philosophical battle, were equally confused by the shivering Tyro's outburst.</p><p>After a brief moment of silence, Blerol spoke. "Pongorma, the last thing you would do is lie to me. Did that Tyro just speak?"</p><p>"Indeed it did. I was as surprised as you are."</p><p>"Well then, creature," Blerol proclaimed, turning his body towards Jok and sitting up on his tricushioned throne, "if you are speaking the truth, then how, exactly, is Viewax planning on taking the city from me?"</p><p>Jok explained the mogul's plot, from the poisoned juice beasts to the military installations at the Edifice. He had to fill in some of the gaps with his imagination, but such things were necessary to paint a convincing narrative; Somsnosa would have been proud of him, he felt.</p><p>His story clearly hit a nerve in Blerol that Pongorma's didn't. He got up and began barking orders for the entire military to assemble at the port, and that an all-out assault was imminent. Pongorma and Jok stood in the throne room, staring blankly at the scene gathering outside.</p><p>"W-what happened? He was so resigned before..."</p><p>"Juice is a crucial component in New Muldul's economy. If he knew it was being sabotaged from the start, I doubt we would have even had this conversation."</p><p>"Oh. Sorry..."</p><p>"It isn't your fault. You couldn't have known he'd be like this." Pongorma kicked at the ground in frustration. "Unbelievable. An innocent life means nothing to him, but you cut into his profit margins and he has his spears ready yesterday."</p><p>"I should have installed Smuldunde," he muttered to himself after a brief pause.</p><p> </p><p>As Blerol personally wished to lead the charge, Pongorma's regiment was on the ship behind him. He agreed to have Jok travel with him, as long as he hung back once the fighting began. With some time before the ships reached the Edifice, Jok chose to clear things up with Pongorma about Somsnosa's condition.</p><p>"Um, Pongorma?"</p><p>"What is it, Jok?"</p><p>"A-about Somsnosa..."</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"You understand that she's dead, right? She's not coming back."</p><p>Pongorma stared at him, perplexed, until it finally clicked in his head what was going on. He became deep in thought, wondering how he'd explain the Afterlife to a Tyro, but decided against it. "I do understand, don't worry. And you'll be in for a bit of a surprise when we get there, so let's not discuss this any further."</p><p>Jok wondered if Pongorma was just avoiding the issue or if there really was something he didn't know that everyone else did. Ultimately, he trusted Pongorma enough to let it go for now.</p><p> </p><p>The flotilla landed on the shores of the Edifice at nightfall. It was greeted by the same two guards that met Jok and Somsnosa the day before, but Jok could see they were a lot more nervous encountering these guests. Blerol stepped off the boat and engaged the guards in a conversation Jok was too far away to overhear, especially with only one ear.</p><p>Whatever the discussion entailed, it must not have gone well, as Blerol abruptly ended it by removing two spears from behind him and impaling the two guards at once. He then signaled for the ships to unload, and as both ships emptied out, Pongorma turned behind him to give one last look at the Tyro before heading into battle. Jok nodded to reaffirm their agreement, and watched him disappear into the sea of soldiers storming the island.</p><p>Blerol and his regiment entered the halls of Viewax's headquarters and took note of everything in front of them. While disgusted by his flagrant and tacky decorations, he had to admire someone else who knew how to flaunt their status. Perhaps in another world, they could have been friends.</p><p>"Sir Blerol, should we destroy these?" A soldier was pointing at one of the two fountains on either side of the hall.</p><p>"A fair point. If Viewax were to commit suicide, he could hide from us in the Afterlife and emerge from them after we leave, escaping punishment. Very well, destroy them both."</p><p>The soldier planted a small bomb at the base of a fountain, took a few steps back, and activated it. The pink liquid flowing from the base erupted, spread onto the floor around the demolished structure, and then disintegrated into the ground. A group of soldiers planted another one at the other fountain, and stood back. Upon the detonation switch's activation, the bomb crumbled into pieces.</p><p>"A dud?"</p><p>"Plant another one in there."</p><p>"Any bombs you put in that fountain will fail all the same. I'll make sure of it." Pongorma approached the soldiers and shooed them away from the fountain.</p><p>"Pongorma! It's unlike you to break formation."</p><p>"These are unlikely circumstances."</p><p>"It is, however, incredibly like you to use the same cliché twice in the same day," Blerol muttered under his breath.</p><p>"We don't know if Somsnosa's returned from the Afterlife yet. If we destroy these, we may be trapping her there. Unless, of course, you have the materials to craft another pool after capturing Viewax."</p><p>"You do understand, Pongorma, that this isn't a rescue mission?" ...is what Blerol <em>wanted</em> to say, but he knew fully well that his troops were more loyal to the knight than to him, and admitting that he was more interested in juice-based revenge than saving a life was a great way to be disposed of after a unanimous vote of no confidence.</p><p>"...Very well. Keep a squad to guard the fountain, and make sure they alarm the rest of us if they see Viewax emerging from it."</p><p>"Oh, there'll be no need for that, my Lord."</p><p>Blerol turned around to see his foe on a second-story balcony, underneath which his guards formed rank, ready for battle. They were outnumbered by the New Muldul troops, but Viewax seemed unconcerned.</p><p>"It's true you have us on numbers, your Highness, but I assure you, you'll soon find out that means very little. It's a shame, I was hoping our meeting would be a bit more... formal."</p><p>"This fight needs not occur, Viewax. Release Somsnosa, and we can negotiate the rest peacefully."</p><p>Viewax laughed heartily. "I'm offended, Blerol! You take me for a much bigger fool than I thought you would. You and I both know this isn't about one hylic. You wouldn't have assembled this formation for anything less than a battle for New Muldul, nay, the very future of civilization itself! To pretend otherwise would only deny my victory its grandeur."</p><p>Blerol sharpened his spear. "Let the record show that I at least attempted negotiation."</p><p>"Your obsession with formality will be the death of your reign, Blerol. Or, more accurately, I will."</p><p> </p><p>The castle was beautiful. Carefully sculpted and formed precisely as he liked it. Truly, this masterpiece would go down in history as a revolution in architecture, unparalleled by anything that would come before or after it. As its creator considered what should top off his perfect design, a loud explosion blasted from the headquarters, utterly destroying the castle's structure and returning its form to the sand from whence it came. Jok laid down, now alone on the beach, grateful to the master of fate for teaching him this important lesson about the fleeting nature of all things.</p><p>Jok had been waiting outside for a while. Occasionally, the battle would spill outside, where he witnessed one-on-one duels, a group of Blerol's soldiers ganging up on one of Viewax's, or vice versa. None of them seemed to notice or particularly care about his presence, which granted him a feeling of safety unusual for someone in such close proximity to more death and violence than he had ever been in his life. With his mind free to wander for the first time since his journey began, he started pondering a life without Somsnosa. Regardless of who won the power struggle unfolding in front of him, he'd have to find a way to survive without his mentor going forward. If Pongorma made it out alive, he could adopt him, and perhaps he could find work among the shops at New Muldul. He figured that was the best scenario. If Viewax won, it might not be the end for him either. He'd have to negotiate with the one who murdered her right in front of him, but that was just business, right? She'd understand...</p><p>As Jok continued contemplating, he realized he had built another sand castle. This one wasn't as pretty as its predecessor, but he found it withstood the blasts from outside much better. Perhaps not all was fleeting.</p><p> </p><p>Blerol was in a tough situation. Viewax was right about his numbers advantage being meaningless — from his view, the two sides appeared equal, which was bad news if the battle were to continue for too much longer. He wondered how Viewax's troops were able to even the playing field so quickly — was it a lack of training on his end, or had Viewax discovered a far more deadly form of training than the two were taught growing up? Ultimately, he realized there wasn't time to think about it thoroughly until after the battle was over, and continued fighting his way up to Viewax's position.</p><p>Pongorma, on the other hand, was swinging his axe without a care in the world. It had been centuries since he had the chance to properly utilize a weapon in combat, and as much as he distanced himself from his violent past, there was an innate part of him that would never go away who yearned for the return of the brutality of the Dread Knight. As he sliced through the flesh of Viewax's army, bearing the same feverish look in his eyes that the enemies of the empire saw before his axe swung down upon them, he was grateful the others never saw him like this, and sincerely hoped Somsnosa wasn't looking at him now. During a brief lull, he looked and saw Blerol struggling to get through a crowd of opposing soldiers, expertly avoiding their attacks but failing to strike any hits on them. He considered helping him out, but was immediately ambushed by a group of enemies and abandoned the thought.</p><p>Things continued as they were for a while. Neither Blerol nor Pongorma had made any progress pushing back against Viewax's forces, and the New Muldul troops were losing their spirits — and their lives — at an increasing rate. Pongorma quickly ran through the numbers in his head, and came to the objective conclusion that bar some miraculous intervention, they were headed for a total defeat. An idea came to mind, and in desperation, he ran towards the fountain. He could hear a strange noise emanating from it, which either meant his intuition was right or his delusions were getting worse. He cleared the area around the fountain and leaned into it, praying the source was what he thought it was.</p><p>"Hey. Pong. You hear me?"</p><p>A smile lit up Pongorma's face as his suspicions were confirmed. "I've never been happier to."</p><p>"Lemme know where to aim."</p><p> </p><p>Viewax laid back from his perch above the action. Everything was going exactly as he had expected: that glorified commoner wasn't anywhere close to his position, and the knight, for all of his boasts of slaying the Moon King, was unable to gain the advantage against overwhelming forces. He had thought he would be happier about it, but seeing it now, he was more annoyed that Blerol was too stubborn to admit defeat, letting the battle drag out longer than it needed to. Quite simply, he was bored, and making Viewax bored was the worst offense imaginable.</p><p>"Should I execute him? Keeping him imprisoned would be more fun, but I need to set an example..."</p><p>"Master, I believe your attention should be directed at this." A soldier pointed at a curious event happening on the ground: Pongorma appeared to be cornered by a wave of troops, seemingly failing to defend himself as they closed in around him. Viewax could tell it was a trap, but into what? He surveyed the area carefully, but unless he was planning on using the fountain as a weapon...</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>A shockwave blast threw Viewax back into the wall. He quickly got up and saw a wave tear through the flesh of enemy and ally alike, leaving a mess of halfway-melted soldiers in its wake. Another wave immediately burst forth, clearing the battlefield even further. The remaining soldiers on either side were too stunned to react in time to Pongorma leaping over to Blerol's position and clearing out the pathway for the both of them. His guards were quickly dispatched, and the three stood face-to-face-to-face on the balcony.</p><p>"I should have always realized it would come to this. Let's end this like warriors, shall we?"</p><p>"You're no warrior, Viewax."</p><p>"We'll see who's in a position to judge when I serve your skull on a fucking platter. En garde!"</p><p> </p><p>The headquarters had gone quiet. Jok figured it was time to take a peek inside and see how things were going, as much as he hated to leave the construction of his sand kingdom behind. He passed the entrance and retched at the scene of melted soldiers and broken weapons covering every centimeter of the floor. Sounds coming from above caused him to look up and see a badly bruised Pongorma drive an axe through Viewax's head as a wounded Blerol drove eight spears into his body. Viewax staggered back, took another swing at Blerol, and collapsed. Jok lost sight of him from there, until Pongorma picked up his skeleton and threw it onto the floor, shattering it completely. The surviving members of his army sighed, accepting their defeat in grace.</p><p>The remaining group of New Muldul soldiers, on Pongorma's command, planted a bomb into a fountain on the side of the building and detonated it. Jok wondered if there was a symbolic significance in destroying the signs of Viewax's wealth. As he stared at the beginning of the cleanup efforts, he felt a familiar hand touch his shoulder.</p><p>"Good work, buddy."</p><p>Jok looked up to see Somsnosa's face beaming with pride.</p><p>"Thanks. I just wish I could have saved you..."</p><p>"Why? Don't worry about it. I'm fine now."</p><p>"Yeah, but- wait hold on what?"</p><p>Jok shut his eye hard and then opened it again. There she was, his boss, in the flesh, the very flesh that he saw melt off her skeleton a day ago, wearing the same clothes and the same skull hat that he swore he witnessed break into pieces.</p><p>He stepped back. His brain ran a million kilometers per second, trying to process everything that had happened at once.</p><p>And then, in front of everyone, the poor Tyro fainted, confused and hungry.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to everyone who's liked this story so far! This one took a long time to make due to many reasons including my laptop screen shattering and me needing a new one, and I hope I'll be able to be more frequent with the remaining chapters. I'm *aiming* for two more, but planning your pacing out ahead is for cowards.<br/>Also, as much as I enjoyed giving Viewax a personality, Blerol was even more fun to flesh out (pun intended). He's not the most noble leader, but his heart's mostly in the right place.<br/>Also also, I've now written about both the trauma and bloodlust that endlessly follow Pongorma. I should just accept that he's my favorite character already.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Return</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the battle at the Edifice, everything was supposed to go back to normal. Someone had other plans.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The door to Somsnosa's room opened, with an eager Tyro on the other end carrying the week's sample. She was, as usual, asleep on the couch, but this time, Jok didn't need to wake her up. She moved on her own, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.</p><p>"Everything proceeding normally, I assume?"</p><p>"That's right! The sample's right here."</p><p>Somsnosa eyed the platter of juice laid in front of her. "Hey, Jok... how about <em>you</em> try it?"</p><p>He stepped back, almost spilling the sample in surprise. "M-m-me? B-but, shouldn't you be the one to... right?"</p><p>"I trust your judgment. C'mon, drink it up." As she said this, she reached out her hands to grab the bowl, offering right up in front of Jok's mouth.</p><p>The Tyro hesitated, but his master's wide smile was enough to give him the confidence to proceed. He leaned into the bowl and slurped all of it up in one go.</p><p>"Well?"</p><p>Jok swished the juice in his throat a little before swallowing the entire thing in one gulp. The two stood in silence as the ranch's output was judged. Suddenly, Jok's cheeks beamed and his eye lit up with joy. "It's delicious! The best I've tasted in ages!"</p><p>Somsnosa patted him on the head. "We'll ship it out as soon as possible, then."</p><p> </p><p>It had been a few months since the incident at what was formerly the Edifice (now reduced to a seldom-used New Muldul colony). Despite the gravity of what had unfolded, returning to normal life was pretty easy. For a week or so, the ranch was without any supplier, but Blerol was able to locate a healthy breeding ground for the beasts and set up a business partner to ensure they were sold to her at a fair price and at the highest quality possible (Somsnosa was unsure why the king was so eager to help her this much; when asked, Pongorma assured her not to worry about it). Without any ranching to do, the ranchers had grown restless, but she was able to keep them under control until the beasts started showing up again.</p><p>As Blerol observed, Viewax's attempt to disrupt New Muldul's infrastructure wound up creating the opposite effect. Not only was the economy boosted by a mutual juice partnership, but the battle at the Edifice taught the king some important strategies, and strengthened his relationship with his loyal knight. Viewax's soldiers, without any employer, were happy to join the ranks of his forces, and became a net gain despite the losses incurred.</p><p>Back at home, the ranchers had come to view Jok as a savior. Having no idea of what had occurred, from their perspective he single-handedly stopped Somsnosa's abuse and restored the juice supply to its former glory. The logic of how a single Tyro could do that was, of course, never questioned, and Jok felt it unnecessary to bring up in opposition to the unprecedented amount of praise with which they lavished him.</p><p>This was life at the ranch going forward, and Jok was content with nothing ever changing.</p><p> </p><p>And then, one night, a boat showed up at the ranch's port.</p><p> </p><p>A sensor built into the port activated an alarm inside the ranchers' sleeping quarters, where Jok was awakened from a restful slumber. The ranchers got up, all bewildered by the alarm — why would they have a delivery in the middle of the night, before their current supply had even begun to grow thin? The crew made their way over to the port, drowsy Tyro in tow.</p><p>They were shocked to find that it was very much not a delivery boat that had landed upon their shore, but in fact a small vessel containing only one passenger, who emerged from the boat and made their way onto the mainland. At first too dark to make out, its form soon became clear to Jok, who nearly fainted from the overwhelming sense of dread upon seeing the unmistakable shape and size of Viewax making his way towards him. Before he could fully process the situation, a pair of arms grabbed and pulled him away from the scene. He looked and saw Somsnosa, with a similar look of dread in her eyes, sprinting back into her house before Viewax could spot her and Jok.</p><p>After making it back inside, Somsnosa bolted the door shut and covered all but one of the windows. She set up a bizarre lens and stuck it through the remaining window, then sat down on the couch, panting.</p><p>"A-are you okay?"</p><p>"I'll be fine. Take a look through the scope and let me know if we're in danger while I prepare."</p><p>Jok pressed his eye against the glass lens, which seemed almost tailor-made to fit his eye. Meanwhile, Somsnosa got up and pressed a button, activating a nearby speaker that blasted radio static before the audio from the scene began broadcasting clearly. With these two simultaneous inputs, Jok felt like he was really there at the port. He wondered if such technology could be adapted for entertainment purposes, but the thought passed quickly as he focused on what was happening.</p><p>"Hello there, esteemed juice ranchers. Deepest apologies for interrupting your peaceful night, but I was wondering if I could meet personally with Somsnosa. We have business to discuss."</p><p>"Precisely what business do you have with our boss? She doesn't allow visitors without her express permission beforehand."</p><p>Viewax rubbed his forehead. "Listen, I really don't have time for this. Will you let me through or not?"</p><p>"We would love to let you in, but I'm afraid she has to clear us first, and I don't-"</p><p>"I understand. Thank you." Viewax punched the rancher he was talking to in the stomach, shattering their spine. The other ranchers stepped back in shock while his victim rolled on the ground in agony. He put his foot on their head and crushed it in one stomp.</p><p>Jok felt sick. He could hear the rancher's skull being crushed clearly, and the trauma from back in the Edifice resurfaced. He turned around to catch his breath and saw Somsnosa preparing a drink to enhance her Will. She noticed him looking away and motioned for him to get back to watching the scene. Jok nodded and eventually put his eye back against the lens.</p><p>"Would anyone else like to impede my progress?" Viewax brushed off bits of the rancher's flesh as the others continued staring in horror. "I don't want to hurt anyone else, but to be completely honest with you all, that was quite enjoyable, and I wouldn't particularly mind doing it to the rest of you."</p><p>Suddenly, all at once, the ranchers stopped staring at their coworker's corpse, and snapped their heads forward. They wore an expressionless gaze that confused and slightly unnerved Viewax. As if to remain calm, he threw a fist right into the face of the nearest rancher to him.</p><p>They didn't budge.</p><p>Viewax looked at his fist, then back at his target. He should have caved their skull in, but it appeared to have taken no damage. Viewax swung again, with equal success. As he took a step back, preparing a more powerful blow, he noticed that the ranchers' heads all started vibrating. Their skin appeared to grow rougher and veinier, and their hands began to look more like claws. Viewax watched this transformation occur, debating in his mind whether or not to run back to the boat. Jok could tell they weren't going to let him make that choice.</p><p>Somsnosa leaned into Jok's ear. "Hey, remember what I told you about the ranchers? About how I need to keep them tamed?"</p><p>"Y-yeah?...."</p><p>"This is what happens if I don't."</p><p> </p><p>The ranchers had Viewax pinned down. His escape attempt failed drastically; he had only gone a few steps toward the boat before they caught up with him and sliced into his back, making him stumble and allowing them control. He looked up immediately after hitting the ground and saw he was face-to-face with one of them. Its eyes looked hollow, its teeth rotten and jutting out of its mouth. These couldn't be the same creatures he spoke with, right? The rancher grabbed his head and shoved it to the side as it dug its teeth into his neck and bit down. The pain that surged through his body was enough to give him an adrenaline boost that let him shake off his restraints and get to his feet. He stood up, clutching the open wound on his neck. This fight wasn't over, not yet.</p><p>Jok stared in horror as his former friends charged at Viewax, who successfully fought the first two off and was struggling with the third. The microphone Somsnosa had installed was picking up every sound a little too clearly, every crunch and snap and slice getting picked up and relayed to the two with shocking clarity.</p><p>Viewax successfully defeated the third rancher. Catching his breath, he observed the three incapacitated creatures lying in front of him, and tried to remember how many more were left. Had he not been so physically and mentally exhausted, he might have realized a bit sooner where the rest of them had gone while he was busy with those three, but unfortunately for him, he had only begun to turn around when every single remaining rancher assaulted him from behind, biting and clawing at the nape of his neck and the back of his legs. He attempted to shake them off, but his efforts only made their grip even tighter, and the the combined blood loss made him unable to stand any longer. He collapsed face-first, and turned his head up to see the house, its lights on and some sort of scope poking out from a window. Those two were probably in there, the know-it-all and her stupid Tyro. He just needed to-</p><p>There went a leg. They must have cut through the bone. Just a bit closer and he could-</p><p>He started to taste blood. They must have whacked him on the head. Everything was fading, but-</p><p>Another bite into the neck. He couldn't feel much anymore. He pushed his arm forward and noticed his hand was gone. Thoughts were getting more and more sparse.</p><p>Sight and hearing gone. Couldn't think anymore. All that remained was the pain. That went away moments later.</p><p> </p><p>Jok had to vomit. The ranchers were ripping Viewax's corpse apart, tearing into his flesh and throwing pieces on the ground. It was a more gruesome sight than anything he had witnessed underground or in the wilderness. Sensing his sickness, Somsnosa picked him up and placed him over a toilet.</p><p>After he was finished, he waddled back to the main room to see Somsnosa taking the boards off the door. She was wearing a strange pair of gloves he had never seen before.</p><p>"W-where are you going? Are we safe?"</p><p>"It's only just beginning. Stay inside." And with that, she exited the building and made her way to the site of the carnage.</p><p>Jok ran back to the lens to observe. Somsnosa looked down at the ranchers, who were finishing off Viewax's corpse. One of them looked up and noticed her, alerting the others to her presence. As they turned to her, Jok was stunned at what he saw — their eyes showed no recognition of their boss, all of the respect and admiration they had for her replaced with nothing but pure hunger. He finally understood what she meant: without her beating the fear of herself into them, these were insatiable creatures to whom every living thing was meat.</p><p>Somsnosa casted three immediate Wave Artifices in a row down the hill. They passed through the ranchers moving toward her, but obliterated the incapacitated ones lying at the bottom (as well as eliminating any physical remains of Viewax). She fired off another wave that injured a few members of the group, but they all continued to advance. Jok could see her knees begin to wobble; she had drank the entirety of the solution, but her Will was being depleted at an unhealthy pace. She ignored it as best as she could and continued blasting waves at them. After two more, most of them finally succumbed to the damage and fell over, unable to continue. She gestured again, but nothing came out this time.</p><p>With her Will completely gone, Somsnosa began snapping violently at the three remaining creatures. The strange gloves seemed to accentuate the snaps' damage, tearing into the ranchers' Flesh much harder than a regular attack would. At the top of the hill, another one was finally felled. The other two, realizing she wouldn't have time to kill them both before having nowhere to run, started advancing much faster. She ran right next to the building and stopped, catching her breath. As the ranchers made their way to her, she pointed upwards and snapped. Her pursuers ignored what they thought was a blatant distraction, not thinking to look up at the massive beam falling on top of them.</p><p>Jok remembered when he and Somsnosa helped set up that beam around two years ago. He had asked her what the purpose of it was, and she responded with a quick "don't worry about it". It finally clicked for the Tyro — she had been prepared for this to happen from the beginning.</p><p> </p><p>After the smoke cleared from the wreckage, Somsnosa was disappointed to see that one of the ranchers had made their way from under the trap, and continued to follow its prey. She ran inside the house, not bothering to shut the door, and grabbed Jok, holding his eye right up to her face.</p><p>"Jok, I'm gonna need your help here, buddy. Get ready."</p><p>The two of them stood at the end of the room as the final rancher made its way inside. It was immediately greeted by a double attack from the duo, staggering it back to the entrance. Its eyes bulged as it made a deafening snarl; its meal would be delayed no longer. The creature lunged at Somsnosa, who aimed and fired a well-placed snap to stop it in its tracks... only for her gloves to tear apart from overuse.</p><p>"Ah, shit."</p><p>The monster landed on Somsnosa, its claws wrapping around her neck. Its vice-like grip both suffocated her and punctured her skin; she was mere seconds away from death before a sword flung from the side cut into the rancher's face.</p><p>It turned to its assailant and, without removing its hand from its current target, grabbed the Tyro and launched him to the other end of the room. Jok crashed headfirst into the wall, and instantly went out.</p><p>Before it could return its attention to Somsnosa, its sight suddenly went black. During the distraction, she had managed to wrap her cloak around its head, preventing it from seeing her procure a knife from behind the fridge. She stabbed the monster in the neck, sending a surge of pain that allowed her to remove its hand from her neck. It quickly tore her cloak apart, only to see her stabbing another knife into its stomach. It writhed in pain as she fired off a final snap into it — one she only needed her bare hand for.</p><p> </p><p>The light slowly returned. At first he could only take in a bit of it, then, gradually, his eye allowed more and more until he could open it fully. He attempted to sit up, only for the pain to return to his skull, making him lay back down.</p><p>"Don't push yourself. We still have a bit of time before we have to leave."</p><p>"W...we have to leave? Why?"</p><p>Somsnosa sat down next to Jok, whose unconscious body she had placed on the couch before clearing all the ranchers' bodies.</p><p>"Viewax wasn't supposed to come back. We need to find out where he came from and how he returned, and we can only do that by tracking his scent."</p><p>"Oh, okay... that makes sense." It didn't make sense at all, but he was too tired to say anything else. His eye began to close again.</p><p>"Get some rest, little guy. You'll need it."</p><p>It was mid-afternoon when the two surviving members of the ranch set off on Viewax's boat. Jok was able to make his way from the building, but fell back asleep as soon as they left the shore. After rowing a short distance from the island, Somsnosa began to sniff around in the air, using her nose to track onto the route their ship's owner had taken to get there. The wind was making it difficult, but with enough effort, she was able to catch onto a scent, and the hunt was on.</p><p> </p><p>By the time they reached their destination, there were a few hours before dawn. Somsnosa was completely spent, having been sniffing and rowing nonstop since their departure. Jok, on the other hand, had slept off his concussion and was feeling perfectly active. He stepped off the boat eagerly, and took a few steps before noticing his master stumbling her way onto the shore behind him. The moment her foot made contact with the ground, she lost her balance and fell face-first into the rocky terrain. Jok bolted over and managed to get himself under her before she could make impact. All of her weight pressed against him as he struggled to keep her from crashing, but he managed to gently place her down on the terrain without hurting her. He stepped back to take a breather when she bolted up as if controlled by an otherworldly force.</p><p>"VIEWAX!"</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"W-we gotta find... find Viewax. Where's he?"</p><p>"He... should be here, right? You followed his scent here, didn't you?"</p><p>Somsnosa stared blankly at Jok, her eyes barely managing to show any signs of life. "Scent?"</p><p>"Y-yeah, you were sniffing the entire time... don't you remember?"</p><p>"Idonsmelanything."</p><p>"Maybe you're too tired?"</p><p>"TIRED? Pfffff no I just, I just um-" Somsnosa protested before nearly falling over again.</p><p>Jok sighed. This was going nowhere. "Listen, Somsnosa. I know where Viewax is."</p><p>Somsnosa gasped. "You do?! Oh I knew you could do it Jokey, I always believed in ya." She knelt down to hug her companion, but instead fell on top of him. He pushed her back up.</p><p>"You gotta follow me, okay?"</p><p>Somsnosa nodded. She had no problem letting her trusty Tyro lead the way to... what's-his-name. Voomax or something?</p><p> </p><p>Jok led Somsnosa in circles for almost an hour until he finally found what he was looking for.</p><p>"He's hiding right here, inside of this cave."</p><p>"I knewit! He always seeeeeemed like a cave boy... kinda like you. No'fense."</p><p>The two entered the cave and walked deep within until Jok found a good spot to rest.</p><p>"Here we are, Somsnosa."</p><p>"Here's where's... what?"</p><p>"This is where Viewax will be. But he's not here yet, so we need to wait."</p><p>"Wait, huh? I can..."</p><p>Somsnosa began to wait while standing around, frustrating Jok, who was certain she'd take the cue to fall asleep. Out of options, he sighed as he aimed at his master, withholding as much as he could to make the least damaging hit possible.</p><p>
  <strong>THWACK</strong>
</p><p>"Hey, that hurt.... why would you... you..."</p><p>Jok was already in position to catch her the moment she fell. After gently easing her onto the ground, he sat across from her and waited. She rolled around for a bit, then covered her arms and started shivering. Upon seeing this, a moment of realization hit Jok that Somsnosa was completely naked. He had seen her without the cloak a few times after their first meeting, but she was under a blanket or some form of covering then. Here, in this dark and cold cave, she was exposed to the elements, and would likely not wake up if she didn't have something to warm her up quickly.</p><p>He frantically looked around, looking for anything that could heat her. He tried to find wood for a fire, but nothing was to be found in the cave or outside. He considered cutting off his own body hair, but unless he removed his skin alongside it it would be ill-equipped to function as a blanket. With no other avenues left, Jok would have to use himself; he laid down in front of Somsnosa and curled himself up against her body. It was freezing, to the point where he felt like he was at risk too. As if by instinct, her arms wrapped around him, her body taking in the desperately-needed heat source. Slowly, he could feel himself warming her up, and the confidence that she would be safe was enough to help him drift off together alongside her.</p><p> </p><p>Jok woke up alone in the cave. Even from deep inside, he could feel the midday sun beaming down on the landmass. He ran outside and saw Somsnosa sitting on a ledge, basking in its heat.</p><p>"Hey, Jok."</p><p>"H-hi. How are you feeling?"</p><p>"Better. Sorry about... all that. Guess I exerted myself to the point of delirium, which I didn't actually know was possible until now."</p><p>"So where are we going now?"</p><p>"Well, while you were out, I did some investigating. Viewax's scent is gone now, but I've noticed a series of wires heading to a certain area far up a hill. I think someone's building something here, and I'm almost certain it's where he is."</p><p>"Let's not waste any more time, then!"</p><p>"You're not hungry?"</p><p>"I ate a lot on the boat."</p><p>"Fair enough."</p><p>The two made their way up the mountain, following the trail of wires up to their destination. It was an arduous journey, but they were both well-rested and were able to make the trek with ease. Eventually, they located the source: a half-completed building, containing a lot of familiar faces and decorations.</p><p>"Hey, Jok? This looks a lot like..."</p><p>"...The Edifice."</p><p>They looked at each other, nodded, and went into the construction site.</p><p> </p><p>It was fairly easy to sneak around the unfinished areas, though having to avoid guards and workers proved a difficult task at times. The two worked in tandem, setting distractions so the other could cross and opening up passageways through materials that hadn't quite settled yet. After about an hour reaching deeper and deeper inside the structure, the two finally found their culprit, standing in a well-decorated room across from a strange figure. This person was incredibly short, about a third of Viewax's height, wearing a red cloak that covered all but their face and hands. They had two eyes that stood at either end atop their rectangular face with upward-curving horns protruding from them, and a mouth in the middle of it, curved into a seemingly permanent frown. Their look of disgust and disappointment was visible even at the distance Jok and Somsnosa were maintaining. Sensing that a conversation was occurring, the two of them moved just close enough that their discussion would be in earshot.</p><p>"...wasn't a matter of personal grievance, honestly. I just thought that shutting down the juice operation-"</p><p>"Yes, yes, shutting down the juice-making is a brilliant idea, Viewax! So brilliant, in fact, that I had to waste weeks of my time fishing you out of the Afterlife TWICE because of it!"</p><p>Viewax looked away in embarrassment.</p><p>"Despite how many times I have explained this to you, it seems you once again have failed to grasp the purpose of our operation."</p><p>"Lord Odozeir, I promise I understand. I'm simply trying to make it easier to-"</p><p>A large smack permeated the entire building. Viewax held the side of his face in pain.</p><p>"Make it EASIER? You doubt the power of Lord Gibby?" Somsnosa held back a gasp hearing that name.</p><p>"No, no, I don't, I swear..." He couldn't see him, but Jok was certain Viewax was in tears.</p><p>"What power do you think allowed me to resurrect you? To restore your Edifice to its former glory?"</p><p>"It's all thanks to Gibby, I know..."</p><p>"And yet, AND YET, you stand in front of me and imply I will need <em>help</em> to overtake New Muldul?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"</p><p>"I believe, Viewax, that you overstate your importance in this operation. Your job is simply to lead the charge on New Muldul, the charge that I alone will handle, and then sit at its helm while we extract the Gibbylet. Anything else is an overstepping of your role, and an equivalence to spitting into Lord Gibby's face itself!"</p><p>"Y-yes, you're absolutely right, I'm so sorry..."</p><p>"I do not need apologies, Viewax. If you truly feel remorse for your actions, repent by helping everyone else on the Edifice's construction."</p><p>Viewax nodded and walked off. He was heading toward Somsnosa and Jok's position, so they ran back the way they came, and decided it was their cue to leave.</p><p> </p><p>After the two had gotten safely away from the construction site, they sat down and collected themselves. After a few moments without either speaking, Jok broke the silence.</p><p>"So... mission accomplished?"</p><p>"Mission accomplished, I guess."</p><p>"Will we be heading back to the ranch now?"</p><p>"What ranch?"</p><p>Jok gasped. "Y-you mean it's gone? For good?"</p><p>"Do you know how much work it'll take to bring back the ranch? Even assuming getting more ranchers is possible, which is very much not guaranteed, not only will we have to rebuild everything they destroyed, but the entire ground needs to be salted and reformed to allow for fertile juice cultivation."</p><p>"A-all the more reason to start now, right?"</p><p>Somsnosa looked off in the distance. "Unfortunately, there are more pressing matters we need to attend to."</p><p>"Is this about that Gibby stuff?"</p><p>"That's right." Somsnosa sighed. She had been putting this off for years now, but it was too important to ignore. She got up, and motioned the Tyro to follow.</p><p>"Where are we going?"</p><p>"To see an old friend."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, the Hylics characters have blood and can freeze to death. Please don't question this.</p><p>For as much trouble I felt I had writing Hylics-style dialogue in the last few chapters, I feel like I *really* blew it for Odozeir here. Oh well.</p><p>I like the ranchers, so making them transform into feral monsters was difficult but fun. Somsnosa's dialogue on the boat in chapter 1 makes a bit more sense now, doesn't it?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Old Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For the sake of the universe, they'll visit an uncomfortable past.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I want to give a huge, huge shout out to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26052223">Psycada</a> for a lot of hc inspirations regarding the world of Hylics 1 and how Wayne and Somsnosa met, and a slightly smaller but still massive shout out to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27122860">solonggaybowser</a> for inspiring the dynamic of how the two of them live together. I'd like to give even more shoutouts to even more people, but I'll wait until the very end of the fic to do that.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite being wanted by every local government in a 50-kilometer radius, Somsnosa was bored.</p><p>To an average person, someone in her position would probably not be bored. For reference, she had just ran away from a set of troops after being caught defacing a statue of Gibby. It was the eighth one in the past three weeks, and yet no one had managed to catch her. It helped that most of the guards were either inept or didn't give a shit, and anyone who actually did manage to make it to her house would have to weave through a field of ambulant skulls to get to her. Therefore, without any danger to her criminal acts, Somsnosa could not shake her boredom.</p><p>She had tried singing, which took the edge off a bit. She had her bugs, of course, which entertained her when she wasn't out destroying property value. But something was desperately missing, and that asshole in her kitchen, with his leather jacket and stupid moon head, could see it plain as day.</p><p>"Another successful heist, eh?" He took a bite of a banana.</p><p>"Shut up. And pay for the food you steal from me. You owe me at least 25 bucks."</p><p>"If I paid you for it, it wouldn't be stealing."</p><p>"And if you talk back to me again, you won't be alive."</p><p>"...I'll get the money next week."</p><p>"From where?"</p><p>"I'll steal it! I know where Gibby's people hide their cash."</p><p>"Next week. Fine."</p><p>Silence. Somsnosa knew exactly what Wayne was about to say.</p><p>"...Hey, speaking of Gibby..."</p><p>"No! For the last fucking time, I'm not helping you overthrow Gibby!"</p><p>"Weak."</p><p>"Don't you have a cat to take care of?"</p><p>"I let her out in the garden. She'll be fine. You're more high-maintenance."</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>"I mean, what do you have here to keep you company? These weirdos?" He grabbed a bug that had crawled up to him and squished it in his hands.</p><p>"HEY! No killing the bugs!" She threw a skull at him, which he allowed to hit him square in the face. The two sat in silence for a while.</p><p>"...Hey, Somsnosa?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Why do you always let me into your house?"</p><p>She sighed. "You're funny. And smart, at times. And even though you steal my food I... I like having you around. I like having anyone around in this empty fucked-up world."</p><p>"We can change this world, Somsnosa."</p><p>"The two of us alone can't."</p><p>"What if I found someone else?"</p><p>"...Two other people."</p><p>"Two other people and you're in."</p><p>"Deal."</p><p>The two of them talked for a while longer. After a few hours, Wayne got up to leave, but stopped right before exiting the door.</p><p>"I... I really like you, Somsnosa."</p><p>"I like you too, Wayne. Be safe."</p><p> </p><p>Somsnosa stared out the window from her bed. The night sky was as beautiful as ever, but getting to see it wasn't worth the inability to sleep. She considered leaving the house then and there, but looked to the side and saw Jok out cold. He'd been sleeping a lot longer recently and she wasn't sure why.</p><p>They were in the basement of a house in New Muldul. She had begged the owner to let her pay for a night's stay, but they were such a huge fan of her juice they insisted she stay for free. She left a stack of Bones underneath the table anyway — by the time they noticed, she'd be long gone. In the evening preceding their stay, she managed to procure the materials for a new cloak, and now that her insomnia was preventing her from getting any rest, she figured she'd might as well finish up the stitching.</p><p>Jok was still asleep come morning. She shook the sleepy Tyro, and after a good six shakes his eye finally began to open.</p><p>"Wakey wakey, Jok. C'mon, we gotta get going."</p><p>"H-huh? Oh, right... RIGHT!" He leaped off the bed with his usual energy.</p><p>"What do you think?" Somsnosa held up her cloak and spun around. Jok's eye lit up.</p><p>"It's... it's gorgeous!" Jok rubbed his head against it. "It feels just like the old one, too!"</p><p>"Glad to hear it. Let's eat and stock up on food, then we'll make our way to Wayne's house."</p><p> </p><p>An hour later, the two set off on their journey. Somsnosa had calculated the route and determined on foot was the best way to get there; a boat would be physically less tiring, but it would take so much longer to arrive at a spot where they could disembark. The trip would be long, but it was doable. Before Somsnosa could get five steps in, however, Jok ran in front of her and refused to move.</p><p>"What's going on, Jok?"</p><p>"You promised, remember? Tell me about who we're seeing."</p><p>"That's right, that's right. Alright, let's keep going, I'll tell you about him on the way."</p><p>They began to make their way across a set of mountains as Somsnosa spoke.</p><p>"Many, many years ago, back before this planet was how we know it, there was something called a moon up in the sky. This moon shined down on us with an oppressive light that made most of the people living here lose their minds and speak incoherently. All of this was done by a man named Gibby, who lived in a high tower on the moon. His intentions for causing this suffering were never clear; in my opinion, he was just a megalomaniac who wanted power.</p><p>"During that time, I met a strange man. He claimed to be related to Gibby, but showed none of his prestige or ambition. He ate scraps, dug money out of trash cans, and his head was curled into a goofy crescent shape."</p><p>"Wayne?"</p><p>"That's right. I met Wayne while stealing a bunch of supplies from Gibby loyalists — his head made me think he was going to report me, but to my surprise he helped me escape. He followed me home and that's the day we became friends.</p><p>"We were lonely, you see. Everyone who wasn't speaking gibberish to me was trying to report me to the authorities, and no one wanted to talk to someone who claimed to be from the moon. So all of our thoughts, our feelings, we shared with all with each other, because we were all we had. But Wayne had another plan in mind. He was determined to kill Gibby and stop his tyranny. I dismissed it as childish naivety, because a world with Gibby was all I'd ever known. But he didn't care. He stubbornly persisted with his goal, trying to convince me all the while. And then, one day, we gathered a crew together, and we actually did it."</p><p>"That's what Pongorma was talking about, then."</p><p>"Pongorma was one of them, along with a strange archaeologist fellow. The four of us traveled the world, took a spaceship up to the moon, and murdered Gibby in his throne. In retaliation, he set the moon to explode, sending us crashing back down — the hard way. When we emerged from the Afterlife, we found that the world wasn't what we remembered it to be. The moon exploding had drastically changed its landscape, growing and destroying landmass, and bringing creatures like you aboveground."</p><p>Somsnosa stopped walking and looked off into the distance. "That was when... that was when Wayne started to change."</p><p>"Change?"</p><p>"It started with him getting noticeably bigger. None of us wanted to pay it much attention, but then the horns started to sprout. He lost his face... grew a lot more eyes. Then his limbs fell off and he got even bigger." Jok saw tears forming in Somsnosa's eyes. "Before we knew it, the Wayne we knew was gone. It wasn't just his appearance — he lost his personality, his emotions, all of it replaced with some giant stoic worm. And then he left."</p><p>"He left?"</p><p>"To form his own colony. He was vague about it, said something about how the moon exploding killed off all of his kind. He said we could always visit him at his new house, then slithered off into the sea. As far as I know, none of us ever did."</p><p>"That's sad."</p><p>"Could you blame us? Our best friend in the entire world basically died."</p><p>"No, I-I get it. It's just... I can't understand what that must feel like."</p><p>"Sometimes, I have trouble understanding it myself."</p><p>They walked for a little while in silence, but eventually Jok spoke.</p><p>"So, um, if you don't mind me asking... why are we going to see him again?"</p><p>"That Odozeir guy scares me. He was talking about Gibby as if he were still alive, and mentioned something about retrieving a part of him. I suppose it could all be bullshit, but the fact that he could revive Viewax alone makes me want to take him seriously."</p><p>"And if there's one person who knows about the threat he'd pose, it's Wayne, right?"</p><p>"Exactly. Trust me, I wouldn't be going there for anything less dire."</p><p> </p><p>The two completed their trek across the set of mountains, and prepared to stop for a breather when Somsnosa noticed a waterfall. She ran up to it, removed her clothes, and walked into the cold pool of water, washing herself in the stream. Jok opted instead to lay and bask in the sun, but its overwhelming heat made him reconsider. He walked over to the waterfall and joined her in cooling off from the midday swelter.</p><p>As the water pooled around his feet, he felt a strange shiver. It was a nice reprieve from the heat, of course, but something was unusual. He walked further into the waterfall, letting the stream fall onto his body. As he felt his temperature drop, a sudden pain shot up his spine into his skull, and he collapsed.</p><p>Somsnosa was horrified. This wasn't the cute bewildered fainting he was known for — he was twitching, and appeared to be convulsing in pain. She immediately picked him up and laid him out in the sun to dry him and warm him up as she put her clothes back on. After a few minutes, he seemed to stop twitching, but he still wouldn't wake up. Without any knowable window on when he'd wake up, she picked him up and placed him on her shoulders as she continued the journey on her own.</p><p> </p><p>The constant rhythmic bouncing forced him awake. Jok opened his eye to find himself draped around Somsnosa's neck like a scarf. He wiggled a little to convey his newfound consciousness, and she let go to drop him on the ground. He wobbled a little before regaining his balance.</p><p>"What was that about, Jok?"</p><p>"I-I don't know. I was just soaking in the water and then... something really hurt, and everything went black."</p><p>"Maybe Wayne will have some idea. Can you walk the rest of the way? It's not that far." And her neck really hurt, but she wasn't going to say that.</p><p>"I think so! I feel okay now."</p><p>"Let's go, then."</p><p> </p><p>Somsnosa was right — they reached their destination not long afterward. The Waynehouse, as a sign placed outside called it, was a massive richly decorated three-story building; a far cry from the dump he lived in when they first met, Somsnosa observed. As Jok was taking in the structure, he noticed a small creature rub against him. He stepped back in shock, but even he could see it was harmless after looking at it for a moment. It was a small bug-like creature, with a shape similar to that of a juice beast, but with dozens of tiny legs and a yellow crescent head similar to what Somsnosa described. Jok bent over, and it rubbed its head against his, making a small little chirping noise.</p><p>"Those must be the larvae."</p><p>"So this will grow into... another Wayne?"</p><p>"Guess so."</p><p>The two approached the door and were greeted by a crescent-headed person wearing a blue suit, with a small sort of cloak draped over her chest. She looked friendly and welcoming to Jok, but Somsnosa seemed angered by her appearence somehow. He couldn't exactly tell why.</p><p>"Hello! Welcome to the Waynehouse! We don't get visitors here often, so if you wouldn't mind taking a seat over in-"</p><p>"I want to see Wayne."</p><p>She stepped back, slightly shocked at her sudden interruption. "I... I understand, but Wayne isn't always available you see, and-"</p><p>"Make him available."</p><p>She began to get agitated. "Listen. Wayne is currently meditating, and is not seeing guests at the current moment. I understand your eagerness, but-"</p><p>"Tell him Somsnosa's here."</p><p>"WILL YOU STOP INTERRUPTING ME!"</p><p>They stood opposite each other in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time.</p><p>"Now, as I was saying-"</p><p>Somsnosa shoved her backwards against the wall, slammed her hand next to her head, and put her face right up against hers.</p><p>"I'm only going to tell you this once. Go up to Wayne right now, interrupt whatever stupid meditation bullshit he's doing, and tell him Somsnosa is here, or I will rip your fucking head off and use it as a toilet bowl."</p><p>"Is that a promise?"</p><p>"You wanna find out?"</p><p>They continued, pressed against each other for an even more uncomfortable amount of time, before Somsnosa backed off. Without saying another word, the host climbed up the staircase, leaving them at the entrance.</p><p>"D-don't you think that was a bit too harsh?"</p><p>"Oh, it was. But I don't feel bad about it."</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes, she returned. She beckoned the two of them to follow her, and together they made their way up to the roof. She stopped before the final staircase, letting them climb it alone as she returned to her post. As the two reached the top, they were met with the sight of Wayne in all his glory — towering over them, all ten eyes staring in their direction. He slithered around a little before curling up on his perch, as if to make himself comfortable in the presence of guests.</p><p>"It... has been quite a while, Somsnosa."</p><p>"Yeah. It has."</p><p>"I assume this is not a simple friendly visit, then."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>Wayne appeared ready to interrogate her, but backed off as the memories of their last interaction returned. Were it possible for his face to register shame, it would have been obvious to anyone watching.</p><p>"Somsnosa, if I offered an apology, would you accept it?"</p><p>"It wouldn't change anything."</p><p>"No, you're right, it wouldn't. I just thought... never mind."</p><p>Somsnosa had been sitting on the floor with her head down. Jok wondered if just looking at him would make her too upset to focus.</p><p>"Anyway, regardless, um... what is it you came to tell me?"</p><p>"Wayne," Somsnosa began to ask, lifting her head but turning it to the side, "have you heard of a man named Odozeir?"</p><p>"Odozeir... ah, yes. One of Gibby's most insufferable servants. An absolute genius and master of persuasion, he chose to devote himself and his work entirely to the throne of Gibbulus for some reason I spent many a night trying to make sense of. During high council meetings, before Gibby kicked me out, Odozeir was in his ear almost all the time. The light that tortured everyone's minds would not have existed without his input and design.</p><p>"A year or so before I escaped, he got Gibby's permission to descend onto the planet's surface to research a project known between them as 'Hylemxylem'. I am not exactly certain what it was, but I have my guesses — and if they are correct, then we were extremely lucky to have stopped Gibby before his work could be complete. Did that answer your question?"</p><p>"Wayne, Odozeir is still alive, and he's continuing his work."</p><p>"Hmmm." Wayne shook his head a little, and a few larvae fell out. "Odozeir surviving the Accretion makes sense, but I can't see him continuing without Gibby."</p><p>"He speaks as if Gibby, or some part of him, is still alive."</p><p>"Impossible. Unless he was somehow unaware of the moon's detonation..."</p><p>"Um, excuse me, Wayne, sir? I'm sorry to interrupt-"</p><p>"No apologies are necessary, Tyro. That you are even able to speak at all means you have my undivided attention."</p><p>"Ah, I see, thank you, um, sir. What I wanted to ask was, do you know what a Gibbylet is?"</p><p>Wayne's ears fluttered. "A Gibbylet... well, I can only assume it's a part of... a part of Gibby... oh, dear..."</p><p>Suddenly, Wayne began to violently shake. The roof felt like it was going to tear in two, and Jok was certain he could feel crumbling beneath his feet. He ran to Somsnosa for protection, somewhat baffled that she was so unfazed by it. Eventually, the shaking stopped, with nothing broken or out of place. Jok shrugged and decided not to worry about it, though his head was still pounding for some reason.</p><p>"I understand now. It is as I feared... how did I not see this all along?"</p><p>"W-what is?" "What's going on?" Jok and Somsnosa asked in unison.</p><p>"If Odozeir is stationed at Foglast, he could use its power to revive Gibby himself. And his work on the Hylemxylem is likely complete... this bodes very, very poorly."</p><p>"Well, great. We doomed, then?"</p><p>"Not quite. I believe the same force that destroyed Gibby can stop this plan before it comes to fruition. Somsnosa, I'd like you to meet someone."</p><p> </p><p>Wayne made an inaudible sound, and another Wayne clone made their way up to the roof. Somsnosa took a glance at them, then immediately focused. Something was different about this one. Something... extremely familiar.</p><p>"I can see you've already picked up on this Wayne's uniqueness. You see, I've managed to implant all of my memories and emotions up to the end of our last adventure into him. It's like if I never transformed. Can you tell?"</p><p>Somsnosa circled around this person. She looked deep into his eyes, searching for the Wayne she knew. After a moment, she stopped and put her hand up to his head, flicking him square in the forehead. Without missing a beat, he responded by poking her directly in the eyes. Jok let out a gasp as she stepped back to recover, immediately following up with a right hand to the face. He caught it with his left, then launched a fist of his own into her stomach, which was intercepted just as quickly. The two struggled against each other for a while, then let go, stared into each other's eyes, and joined in a deep embrace.</p><p>To Jok, and anyone else who would have observed this bizarre ritual, it was nonsensical. But Somsnosa, crying for the first time since she lost him, had finally found <em>her</em> Wayne. Jok had never seen his master this happy before.</p><p>After the hug was over, Wayne made for the stairs. "I'm sorry, I have to get back to training. We'll talk later, okay?" He even had the same voice.</p><p>"Sounds good, yeah."</p><p>After seeing Wayne depart, Somsnosa turned back to Wayne. "So he'll bring the gang back together?"</p><p>"Once he's completed his training and can be trusted to leave the Waynehouse, yes. Hopefully Odozeir won't be too far in his plans by then."</p><p>"This leaves us with a major issue, though."</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"What exactly do we call you?"</p><p>Wayne slithered back, stunned at the question. He had never considered being anyone other than Wayne, but if he had given someone else the name, it was true he couldn't go back to it.</p><p>"How about-"</p><p>"BIG WAYNE!"</p><p>They turned to Jok, who blurted out the name in a weird haze.</p><p>"Well, you are Wayne, and you are big."</p><p>"It is a fitting name, I suppose," Big Wayne agreed. "But what exactly is going on with the Tyro?"</p><p>"Oh, he's been like that lately. I'm not entirely sure why." As she finished the thought, Jok collapsed on the floor. She rushed over to him, making sure he was alright.</p><p>"Somsnosa... how long have you had him?"</p><p>"Let's see... about three years?"</p><p>Big Wayne gasped.</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"Tyros are only supposed to live about half a year."</p><p>"...What?"</p><p>Big Wayne made another inaudible sound, and a group of Wayne clones ran up to the roof, picked Jok up, and carried him downstairs. Somsnosa could do nothing but stare in silence.</p><p>"Due to your care, and perhaps your teaching him language, he's managed to live five times past his life expectancy. But his body can't sustain that, and I believe it's finally catching up to him."</p><p>Somsnosa continued staring blankly. Images of what she had put Jok through flashed through her mind — in the last few months alone, he saw her die in front of him, dug across an ocean, got thrown headfirst into a wall, and then went on two expeditions immediately afterward. All of this for a creature well past its due date. What had she done?</p><p> </p><p>Pongorma stood at the edge of the ship. Taking in the breeze, he turned to Somsnosa, who had joined his side.</p><p>"Is Jok downstairs?"</p><p>"Yep. I placed him in one of the empty quarters."</p><p>"Good."</p><p>"By the way... thank you. For everything."</p><p>He looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I'm just glad everything turned out alright. He's a brilliant little creature — though I wouldn't expect anything less from someone in your care."</p><p>She smiled. "I only did half the work. It's remarkable what he can come up with on his own."</p><p>"Speaking of which, actually... I need to tell you something."</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>Pongorma sighed. He didn't want to have this conversation.</p><p>"When Jok spoke to me about your death, he did so with a sense of finality. That is to say, he was absolutely certain you were never coming back."</p><p>"That's weird."</p><p>"Do you understand what this could mean?"</p><p>"Enlighten me."</p><p>"Think about it, Somsnosa. You and I, and everyone we know, intrinsically understand the existence of the Afterlife. We never needed to be told that we could return to the living, we just knew it."</p><p>"That's true..."</p><p>"If Jok doesn't know about it, then what if-I mean, I'm sure he'll live a lot longer, but-"</p><p>"I get it, Pongorma."</p><p>"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."</p><p>"No, I'm glad you did. Thank you."</p><p> </p><p>The next few weeks went by quickly. Somsnosa remained at the Waynehouse, as Jok slept in a room to himself. She caught up with Wayne, and made amends with the female clone from earlier. At times, she assisted with training and participated in larva feeding time. But at the end of each day, she'd go to Jok's room and check on him, and every time, he'd open his eye just a smidgen, turn to her, and close it again.</p><p>One day, after a hectic day of errands, she entered the room to find his eye fully open. She rushed up to him, only to find he was breathing as slowly as ever. He gradually turned his eye to her and then, for the first time since the day the arrived, spoke.</p><p>"Som...Somsnosa?"</p><p>"Yes, Jok? What is it?"</p><p>"You... feel guilty, don't you? For me."</p><p>"No, I-" Somsnosa stopped herself. Why lie to a dying Tyro? "Yeah, I do."</p><p>"Y-you shouldn't."</p><p>"I know, but after everything I put you through-"</p><p>"Everything I went through... I don't regret any of it, Somsnosa. I don't regret it, so you shouldn't... you shouldn't either."</p><p>Somsnosa failed to hide her tears, barely managing to speak past her blubbering. "Is this the end, little guy?"</p><p>"I... guess so."</p><p>"I'll miss you."</p><p>"Maybe I'll see you again. In the... whatever you call it."</p><p>"The Afterlife?"</p><p>"Yeah, that. It sounds nice..."</p><p>"I'm sure I'll see you there, buddy."</p><p>"Make sure to say hiiiiii-" he trailed off as his eye closed one last time. Somsnosa put her hand on his stomach and felt it stop moving. Wayne stood in the doorway, watching her fall from her seat and collapse on the floor sobbing. Her screams traveled throughout the entire Waynehouse that night; no one could sleep, but no one really wanted to.</p><p> </p><p>The proto-airship sputtered as it managed to land on the shores of the abandoned ranch. Somsnosa nodded to the pilot and hopped off, carrying the Tyro's corpse in her arms. She watched it take off and fade into the distance, then went to work digging a hole behind her house.</p><p>After the hole was deep enough, she gently placed Jok's body into it and stuffed him deeper. Before she began to cover it, she took one last look at him — the stub where his right ear would be, his feet, calloused from walking around the ranch all the time, and the fur around his body, whose color was already beginning to fade. She said goodbye to it a final time, and went to work shoveling dirt into the hole.</p><p>Once the hole was filled, she found a nearby rock and took out out a chunk of it. Sharpening a piece of stone, she debated what the best thing to carve into it would be. After thinking deeply about his life and the role he played on this insane planet, she settled on a simple message:</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>J O K</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>A small Tyro in a big, big world.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Somsnosa sat down on her couch, sighing. For the first time since that fateful day in the desert, she was completely alone. She looked out at the barren land she'd need to recultivate, she looked at the empty quarters she needed to fill, and last of all, she looked to her side and saw an empty space where a trusty assistant she could never replace once stood.</p><p>"Guess I've got a lot of work to do, huh, buddy?"</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blue skies, no major wind in any direction. Perfect weather for a few rounds on the green.</p><p> </p><p>Somsnosa placed the tee at the edge of the field, eyeballing it to be roughly between two mounds. She had only just gotten this course made, and she was excited — she made sure it had plenty of sand traps and ponds to keep her on her toes this time.</p><p>After destroying the Hylemxylem, she had fallen into an exorbitant amount of wealth. While all four of them were initally celebrities, Dedusmuln quickly managed to retire and live in obscurity to take care of their little ones, and Somsnosa had attempted to follow them. It was short-lived, as her juice brand was instantly recognized and bought in bulk to become a household name, and was only compounded by Blerol's decision to give her the entirety of Viewax's estate and the value of all of its assets. Sitting on more wealth than she knew what to do with, she took Dedusmuln's advice to recreate an ancient game they had discovered. Three courses later, and she was hooked.</p><p>She picked out a club that looked suitable for her first drive. She hadn't really figured out what the major differences between the clubs were — Dedusmuln couldn't find much info on it, and the little they did uncover they weren't able to translate. She went by instinct instead. Tapping the ball with the club, she eyed where she wanted it to go, then pulled back, and swung.</p><p>The ball flew up and into the sky. She watched it for as far as she could, but eventually lost it somewhere in its downward arc. Before she could grab her bag and head out to it, a rancher interrupted her.</p><p>"E-excuse me, Ms. Somsnosa? A matter at the ranch requires your attention."</p><p>Somsnosa turned around. They had learned not to interrupt her during her swing — the last one to make that mistake still had a club-sized dent in their shin.</p><p>"What's going on?"</p><p>"Some... creature has washed up on the shore. It doesn't appear to be aggressive, but none of us are able to make it go away."</p><p>Somsnosa nodded. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, the thought arose - "could it really be?" - but she shot it down immediately.</p><p>"Alright then, let's go."</p><p> </p><p>Somsnosa and the messenger arrived on the main island, the ranchers full of relief seeing their coworker without any scars or bruisers. They led her to the shore, and the thoughts flared up again as she saw the body of a Tyro lying unconcious on the sand. They stepped back as she approached it, expecting a quick and painless death for the hapless creature.</p><p>She knelt down and prodded it awake. It stood up, staring her eye-to-eyes. She gently reached her hand towards it and it didn't react. It let her pet it for a bit, but winced when she touched its right ear. She pulled her hand back, observing how similar the creature's mannerisms were to her old apprentice.</p><p>"...Jok?"</p><p>The Tyro stood in silence, to Somsnosa's disappointment.</p><p>"Of course. I should have known." She got up, and walked away.</p><p>"J-Jok!"</p><p>She stopped walking and smiled. Turning around, she motioned for the creature to follow her. It hesitated, but soon was rushing full-force to catch up with her.</p><p> </p><p>The ranchers stood in place, baffled at what they were seeing.</p><p>"Is... is that thing gonna be part of the ranch now?"</p><p>"I'm not sure," one of them observed, "but I have a strange feeling it'll fit right in here."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that's the end! Thank you so much to everyone who read, commented, and left kudos. Even if I only briefly entertained a small section of this already niche fandom, I'll be happy. This was a wonderful adventure for me to write, and I hope I at least somewhat captured the feeling of the games that inspired it into existence.</p>
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